On June 28, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the utilization of these new features for a dedicated round of invitations aimed at health workers, including doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and optometrists under the Express Entry system. 

The first round, based on category selection, will commence today and invite 500 health workers to apply. A second round, inviting 1,500 workers to apply, will take place on July 5. This phased approach ensures a smooth launch of the program. This dedicated round of invitations for health workers complements existing immigration initiatives that aim to address labor shortages in the health sector. 

The health sector, among other crucial sectors of Canada’s workforce, is facing unprecedented shortages. To address this challenge, Minister Fraser recently introduced new changes to Canada’s primary economic immigration program, Express Entry. These changes now enable the Government of Canada to issue invitations for permanent residency applications to candidates from specific fields or with particular skills, training, or language proficiency.